Event Venue Rental in Fort Lauderdale (Just North on Dixie Hwy)

Looking for an event venue in Fort Lauderdale? The Center for Spiritual Living rents its event spaces at 4849 N. Dixie Highway in Oakland Park, about 12 minutes north of central Fort Lauderdale. The Main Auditorium seats up to 275 auditorium-style or 110 for a seated dinner, and on-site parking holds up to 150 vehicles.

Why Fort Lauderdale planners look just north to Oakland Park

Fort Lauderdale is the largest of Broward County’s 31 municipalities and its seat of government, so a lot of the county’s meetings, trainings and celebrations start here. It also has a long list of groups that need a room on a regular basis. More than 60 neighborhoods have been officially recognized by the city, and the city’s own list of recognized neighborhood associations shows many of them meeting in church halls and fellowship halls.

That is exactly the kind of space we offer, with three rooms to choose from and a professional AV booth. The Center for Spiritual Living Fort Lauderdale sits on North Dixie Highway in Oakland Park, a short drive up from downtown, with a parking lot that can take up to 150 cars. For a board that is tired of circling for street parking or a company that needs a projector that works the first time, that combination matters.

The venue welcomes events of every kind and every background, from conferences and networking nights to weddings and fundraisers. Your event does not need to be spiritual.

How far is it from Fort Lauderdale?

From central Fort Lauderdale, the drive is about 4.9 miles and typically takes about 12 minutes. The usual route heads north on North Andrews Avenue, picks up Northeast 4th Avenue, follows Wilton Drive (SR 811) through Wilton Manors and continues onto North Dixie Highway (SR 811) to the venue at 4849 N. Dixie Highway.

That time is a typical estimate measured from the middle of the city, not a traffic-adjusted promise. Guests from Coral Ridge, Imperial Point or Victoria Park may be closer or farther, and rush hour adds time. When you send directions, give guests the full street address and suggest they leave a few extra minutes for a weekday evening start.

If some of your attendees live farther west or north, our posts on event space near Wilton Manors, renting a venue in Oakland Park and banquet space for Lauderhill groups cover those drives.

Neighborhood association meetings, trainings and conferences

Association meetings and annual elections

A monthly board meeting of a dozen people fits comfortably in the Multipurpose Room, which holds up to 40 conference-style and comes with a whiteboard. When the annual meeting brings out the whole neighborhood, or a city commissioner or developer is presenting, move to the Main Auditorium: 275 seats, a projection system and a sound booth so the back row can actually hear the questions.

Fort Lauderdale is also known, along with Oakland Park and Wilton Manors, for its large LGBTQ+ community. Civic groups, social clubs and professional networks of every kind are welcome to ask about dates for a regular meeting room.

Corporate trainings and company meetings

The city describes its economy as a mix of marine, manufacturing, finance, insurance, real estate, high technology, avionics and aerospace, and film and television businesses. Those industries run a steady calendar of onboarding sessions, licensing classes, sales kickoffs and client seminars. Here you can run a training of 40 around tables in the Multipurpose Room, then bring everyone into the auditorium for a keynote.

Conferences and half-day symposiums

For a one-day conference, registration and coffee happen in the 1,418 sq ft Welcome Lobby at the Guest Services desk, general sessions run in the Main Auditorium, and the Multipurpose Room becomes the breakout room. The kitchen sits behind it all for your caterer.

Small weddings, receptions and celebrations of life

Many people who search for a wedding venue in Fort Lauderdale want something smaller than a hotel ballroom. The Main Auditorium seats 110 for a seated dinner across thirteen 60-inch round tables, which suits a close-family wedding reception or an anniversary dinner. For a ceremony, the same room seats up to 275 auditorium-style, and the Welcome Lobby can host up to 200 for a cocktail hour. Couples of every background are welcome.

The city’s population includes a sizable share of older residents (19.2% were 65 or older in 2020), and families often need a calm, dignified room for a memorial or celebration of life. The auditorium’s sound system, projection for a photo slideshow and streaming for relatives who cannot travel all help with that kind of gathering.

Which room fits your guest count?

Every number below comes from our event space rental details.

One honest note on the Multipurpose Room: its rental includes more tables and chairs than will fit in the room at one time. Our team will help you plan a layout that works for your headcount.

See the rooms and check availability

What’s included: tables, linens, place settings and the kitchen

A Main Auditorium rental includes a full set of furniture, so you are not renting tables from a third party for a standard meeting or dinner:

• Thirteen 60-inch round tables (seating 8 each) with basic linens
• Rectangular buffet tables in three sizes, with basic linens, and six 34-inch square card tables
• Six 24-inch round high-top cocktail tables with black linens or spandex
• 275 tan banquet chairs, plus two blue linen couches and two blue linen club chairs
• Place settings for 200: salad and dinner plates, full dinnerware, basic linen napkins and water glasses
• Access to the kitchen and complimentary password-protected Wi-Fi

The Multipurpose Room includes four 60-inch rounds, buffet and card tables, high-tops, 50 banquet chairs, a whiteboard, kitchen access and Wi-Fi.

There is no additional charge for kitchen use when you rent the Main Auditorium or the Multipurpose Room. The kitchen has two microwave ovens, a commercial coffee maker, a double-door refrigerator and a commercial reach-in refrigerator with 26 tray holders, so a caterer can stage a working lunch or a full dinner.

Sound, video, streaming and teleprompter

This is where the venue stands apart for corporate and civic events. The Main Auditorium has a fully equipped professional sound and video booth with projection, streaming capability and a presidential teleprompter. The booth is staffed by the Center’s own team, and equipment and operator fees are quoted on inquiry.

A company can run a town hall from the teleprompter while remote staff watch the stream, and an association can project a development presentation and share it with members who could not attend. You can see how we use the same system for our own programs on our livestream page.

Planning checklist for your Fort Lauderdale event

1. Settle your realistic headcount and format (theater-style, classroom, rounds or cocktail) so you can match it to the room table above.
2. Call Jim Wood at 954-566-2868 with two or three possible dates and ask for availability and a quote.
3. Book a walkthrough. Bring whoever is presenting or running the program so they can see the stage and booth.
4. If you need projection, streaming or the teleprompter, tell us early so the Center’s AV team can be scheduled.
5. Choose your caterer or coffee service and confirm what they need from the kitchen.
6. Ask the Director of Operations to walk you through policies, setup times and anything specific to your event.
7. Send guests the full address, 4849 N. Dixie Highway, Oakland Park, FL 33334, plus a note that parking is on site.

When to book: the fall and winter meeting season

Fort Lauderdale’s big annual events compete for attention, hotel rooms and parking. The annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the world’s largest boat show, brings more than 125,000 people to the city, and the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival has been presented every year since 1986. Add the arts calendar along the Riverwalk, home to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, and downtown space can be hard to pin down on the dates you want.

Many associations and businesses set their fall and winter calendars well in advance, with annual meetings and year-end trainings. If your date falls in that stretch, reach out a few months ahead. To get a feel for what already happens in the building, take a look at our events calendar.

Parking and arrival for guests coming from Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale calls itself the “Venice of America” for its 165 miles of inland waterways, which is a big part of the city’s charm. Up on North Dixie Highway, arrival is simple. Guests pull into an on-site lot with room for up to 150 vehicles and walk straight into the Welcome Lobby.

For a full 275-person conference, encourage carpooling from the office. For a seated dinner of 110, the 150-vehicle lot leaves plenty of margin, and early arrivals can wait in the lobby.

Planning something countywide instead? Our guide to event venues in Broward County covers every city we serve. You can also learn more about the organization that runs the building on our Get to Know CSL page.

Frequently asked questions

How far is the venue from Fort Lauderdale?

The Center for Spiritual Living is at 4849 N. Dixie Highway in Oakland Park, about 4.9 miles and about 12 minutes from central Fort Lauderdale. The typical route uses North Andrews Avenue, Northeast 4th Avenue, Wilton Drive and North Dixie Highway. Times are typical estimates and traffic varies.

Is the venue in Fort Lauderdale?

The venue is in Oakland Park, which borders Fort Lauderdale to the north and is part of the Greater Fort Lauderdale area. The address is 4849 N. Dixie Highway, Oakland Park, FL 33334. Most Fort Lauderdale guests reach it in about 12 minutes.

What are some event spaces in Fort Lauderdale?

The Fort Lauderdale area ranges from hotel ballrooms to church and fellowship halls, which many neighborhood associations use. The Center for Spiritual Living in nearby Oakland Park offers three rentable spaces: a 275-seat Main Auditorium, a Multipurpose Room for up to 70 and a Welcome Lobby for up to 200 cocktail-style, with on-site parking for 150 vehicles.

How many guests can the Center for Spiritual Living hold?

The Main Auditorium seats up to 275 auditorium-style or 110 for a seated dinner. The Multipurpose Room holds up to 70 cocktail-style, 50 auditorium-style or 40 conference-style. The Welcome Lobby holds up to 200 cocktail-style.

What is the difference between a meeting room and a conference room?

People often use the terms interchangeably, but a meeting room usually means a flexible space for small group discussions, while a conference room is set around a table for presentations and decision-making. Our Multipurpose Room can be either: it holds 40 conference-style or 50 auditorium-style and includes a whiteboard and Wi-Fi.

Is there Wi-Fi for presenters and guests?

Yes. Complimentary password-protected Wi-Fi is included with rentals of the Main Auditorium and the Multipurpose Room. Projection, streaming and the teleprompter in the Main Auditorium are run by the Center’s AV team, with fees quoted on inquiry.

Do we have to be members or share CSL’s beliefs to rent the space?

The rental page lists weddings, conferences, banquets, workshops, networking events and many other secular gatherings alongside spiritual events, and the venue welcomes events of every kind. For any requirements that apply to your group, ask Jim Wood, Director of Operations, at 954-566-2868.

How do I get a rental quote and check dates?

Pricing is by inquiry. Call Jim Wood, Director of Operations, at 954-566-2868 for availability and a quote, or send a message through the contact page.

The easiest way to know if a room fits is to stand in it. Call Jim Wood, Director of Operations, at 954-566-2868 to set up a tour, or send us a message with your date and guest count, or start with the room details and photos. We’re about 12 minutes up the road.